I usually hunt with my cousin and have for years. I can call him the night before and ask where he is hunting and he can name off a stand or spot and say it with 100% confidence. It makes me mad. I end up changing my mind all week long, changing my mind driving on the way there... then get there and discuss it with my cousin, THEN at the last second say "SCREW IT" and walk to a stand or spot. I just feel like I'm always making the wrong decision... until I see or kill something. Anyone else do this or are you all like my cousin and just KNOW where to go and when?
Any of you guys as indecisive as me?
- Thread starter Urban_Hunter
- Start date
Bayou Buck
Well-Known Member
I can never say where I am hunting till the morning of. Sometimes I wish I never had so many locations to choose from so I wouldnt have to stress out so much about picking the best one. 
htnseymour
Well-Known Member
Changed my mind twice while reading your post. Taking the wife tomorrow for her to hopefully shoot her first buck. Can't decide if I want a buddy stand or the blind. Seeing bucks both places, but thinking blind might be easier for her.
@fulldraw
Well-Known Member
always go with your gut. even when conditions say otherwise. i never second guess myself anymore.
SelphLogging
Well-Known Member
Well, IMO, you are writing off "your not seeing deer, or killing deer", as a "WRONG DECISION". By your standards of wrong decision, Every hunter makes a bad decision almost all the time. Even your cousin doesn't kill a deer everytime he goes hunting, i'm assuming, so he makes "wrong decisions" too.
But I wouldn't chalk it up as "wrong decisions". Deer don't always cooperate with the way we want them to. So, not seeing deer or killing deer is the normal in hunting. A "Wrong Decision" would be putting yourself in a stand location where the wind is blowing toward where you intend for the deer to be coming from.
And also assuming, but i'd guess your cousin has had some success from a particular spot before and just has a huge confidence level there. But don't always feel like "if I was over in that other spot...", cause there is no guarantees.
But I wouldn't chalk it up as "wrong decisions". Deer don't always cooperate with the way we want them to. So, not seeing deer or killing deer is the normal in hunting. A "Wrong Decision" would be putting yourself in a stand location where the wind is blowing toward where you intend for the deer to be coming from.
And also assuming, but i'd guess your cousin has had some success from a particular spot before and just has a huge confidence level there. But don't always feel like "if I was over in that other spot...", cause there is no guarantees.
Hunter0678
Well-Known Member
Im with you on this one, I have 4-5 good spots that I know I will see something at, I just dont know which one I will be in come morning time but heck, ive got the next 9 days off to pick the right one. hehe. Good luck everyone this weekend.
You are exactly right. I have actually been more successful than my cousin, he typically sees less deer than me. He just lives with it better I guess.
And you are also right in saying it's not really a "WRONG DECISION". I just meant the whole time I'm in the stand if I'm not seeing anything I'm saying to myself, "If I was in (INSERT ANY OTHER STAND THAN THE ONE IM IN) I would be looking at deer right now.
I'm just jealous that my cousin can say "I've seen more sign, or deer, or whatever at SPOT X so thats where I'm going, hope I get one". I just cant. I'm always like, "well I've killed more here, but seen more over there, and more sign across the street, and killed more in the morning here, but don't usually hunt there during the evening.... it goes on and on all week long and the only day I can predetermine where I am going is on Opening day of bow season... because we don't scout... because we are dumb.
And you are also right in saying it's not really a "WRONG DECISION". I just meant the whole time I'm in the stand if I'm not seeing anything I'm saying to myself, "If I was in (INSERT ANY OTHER STAND THAN THE ONE IM IN) I would be looking at deer right now.
I'm just jealous that my cousin can say "I've seen more sign, or deer, or whatever at SPOT X so thats where I'm going, hope I get one". I just cant. I'm always like, "well I've killed more here, but seen more over there, and more sign across the street, and killed more in the morning here, but don't usually hunt there during the evening.... it goes on and on all week long and the only day I can predetermine where I am going is on Opening day of bow season... because we don't scout... because we are dumb.
I'm super excited to see that I'm not the only one though!
W.Seay
Well-Known Member
Yep!!!!
Savage
Well-Known Member
No joke, we have one stand that, when my wife and I are hunting, one of us HAS to be in that stand. Good veiws, and we always see a lot of deer from that stand, and kill good deer from it. HOWEVER, Ive found a new funnel, and have a stand thats on the edge of a thicket that hasnt been hunted this year. I look forward to hunting it.
The only problem, is I know its still a gamble... "will it be better than my 'go to' spot?" My wife wants to hunt a ridge with a lot of oaks, so that would leave the traditional stand vacant- WHICH I CANT STAND!
I think Im going to hunt one from daylight til 9:00, then switch til 2:00, then switch back!
The only problem, is I know its still a gamble... "will it be better than my 'go to' spot?" My wife wants to hunt a ridge with a lot of oaks, so that would leave the traditional stand vacant- WHICH I CANT STAND!
I think Im going to hunt one from daylight til 9:00, then switch til 2:00, then switch back!
BigD_625
Well-Known Member
Whichever one I choose, the other one is the better. LOL
BigD_625 said:
HAHA!!! That's what I'm talking about! Its almost like before I even start walking in that direction I'm saying, I'm an idiot for not going to the other one.
I try to rationalize with myself, but my mind is stubborn!
BigD_625
Well-Known Member
As long as you follow it up with "Well, I'm already here, I might as well stick it out.", you should be fine. LOL
BigD_625 said:
Yea I'm pretty good at that I guess. I have a theory of deer seen per hour hunting regardless of time and spot. I know my odds are better being still and quiet vs walking around so I usually tough it out regardless of where I am at.
Come to think of it... this is the primary reason I am slightly more successful than my cousin... time sitting still in one spot.
I'm awful at doing this!!! yet, when I take someone else and really want them to shoot something, seems like by the time I get to my stand site I here "BOOM"!!!! Just not right!!!! I think my hunting partner secretly waits for me to decide where I'm going to feel confident about his spot!! LOL
BluegrassDan
Well-Known Member
Never can know for certain what deer will do. You can increase your odds by scouting and finding funnels, etc., but the simple fact is that we can't be in two places at once.
waynesworld
Well-Known Member
U can just send me the cords and I will watch it for u and tell u wether u made the right choice
Savage said:
n20_stang
Member
The problem at hand is kinda like having too much money and not knowing what to buy next... at least you have several options. My only decision is whether to drive 5 minutes from the house or 45. but if you need someone to hunt a different stand with you to find out which was more productive, i'll be happy to help.
Crosshairy
Well-Known Member
This is the main reason I would use trail cameras a lot if I owned a large piece of property. Since I don't get to gather enough data as it is, I'm always wishy-washy about confidence in a certain spot over others that are unknown.
I just like having some data to give me general info, like "right now deer are hitting acorns more than food plots", so that I can better decide between groups of stands.
That's the biggest appeal of those cellular-linked cameras, since i never have the opportunity to drive 1.5 hours to check camera data or scout prior to a hunt.
I just like having some data to give me general info, like "right now deer are hitting acorns more than food plots", so that I can better decide between groups of stands.
That's the biggest appeal of those cellular-linked cameras, since i never have the opportunity to drive 1.5 hours to check camera data or scout prior to a hunt.
